Reflecting display



2,132,649 A F. SCKSTEDER I 8. Oct. 11

REFLECTING DISPLAY Filmy oct.. so, 1937 Psnadjiocr. 11,1938 4 UNITED STAT-as' PATENT orrlcla mmcrme mamy Abner F. Saeksteder, Chicago, lll. Arcanum october so, 1937. ser-n1 No. 111,815 v'1n claims. (c1. aa-iao) provision of a folding displayofthis' type in.

which the desired curvature of the reflecting surface is automatically produced in setting up or distending-the display.

A further object of the invention is to provide I a display of this kind in which `the letters or characters are changeable and are located at a distance from a Vportion of the reflecting surface so thatthe display is open at the top for illumination by light from the back, front or top.

A further object -of the invention is in provision of a collapsible and self-supporting display on which the backs oi' the letters or characters are spaced from the reilecting surface andl may be colored the same or variously to produce different reflecting eii'ects, depending upon the direction of the light which illuminates the display.

A still further object of the invention is in the provision of .a colored display with a curved refilecting surfacefor receiving light frorndifferent angles and projecting the light forwardly through the letters or characters, giving the appearance of artificial or neon lamp illumination.

Other and .further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

In the. accompanying ldrawing illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective of .a display set up or distended embodying principles of this invention;

Eig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line I-lof Fig; 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view vof the display when collapsed; and

Fig. 5 illustrates a modified i'orm of the invention as mounted upon a collapsible easel structure.

In providing a curved surface at the back4 of display letters or characters and in spacing the upperY end of the surface from the backs, of the letters, the top of the display is left open for the admission of light from all directions. 'This light striking the curved reilectingsurface causesa 'reilection of the back of the letter upon the-surface itself and provides a bright background, for the letters or characters so that they stand out clearly when viewedfrom the front, causing the display to have the appearance of'an articially or neon lamp illumination with only natural lighting'.' When the display is artificially illuminated.

,entirely different display effectsv are produced.'

y depending upon the colors of the reiiecting medium, the backs of the letters as Well as the front of the display.

Referring now more particularly tothe drawing, a display composed of cardboard has a box base 8 for supporting it in upright position upon any plane surface with .an upright back plate 1 and a front slot 8 for the changeable insertion of cut letters or characters! which have supporting base portions 9a inserted in the slot 8- at the front of thebase and at a distancey from the back plate 1. y

Attached by an adhesive or any othersuitable means at the upper end of the plate 1 is a reilecting sheet I0 preferably composed or faced v with foil'or foil paper II and preferably having ribs l2 which extend transversely or horizontally, thereby producing an attractive novel reflecting background for the characters 9 which may be colored or plain, preferably as gold or silver foil, but reflecting paper of this kind being also made in colors-and havingvertlcal ribs or grooves as well as the horizontal ones. The lower end of this reilecting material is free and unconnected but when the display is set up the -lower end I3 abuts the top of the box base and upper end of a front piece Il or engages the backof the characters 9 at this point so that the lower free end of the reilecting material is curved in a. predetermined manner, depending upon the length of the reilecting sheet, 'I'his curvature may be in the arc of a circle, a parabolic or other curve, and the stillness of the reflecting material is such that it maintains this curvature whenever the display is set up, the transverse ribs or grooves I2 aiding the curvature of the reilecting material.

The supporting box base has a top I5 and a bottom i6 and the ends I1 are formed with iiaps Il adapted to be inserted within the box base and engaged by an inwardly bent tongue I9 near the end of the base so thatl the base may be solidly set\ up and connected for supporting the display and reilecting portion ina proper manner. In order to assist in setting up the rtongues I9 the base is also provided near each a finger opening.

When the structure is collapsed the base being in the form of a four-sided figure, willcollapse flatly downward with respectto the plate 'I as soon as .the locking flaps I8 are disengaged from end with the tongues I9 and the iiaps I1 folded outwardly` illumination. In the structure shown by Fig. 5

- the lower free end of the-*reflecting material is a front display plate 2| has cut letters. characters or openings 22 which assist in forming the display. Attached to the back is a foldable easleA 23 having a hinged locking wing 24 and at the upper end is a curved surface 2l for seating a reector 26 of the foil or other suitable type as above described. 'Ihis reector may be attached at its lower end to the front plate by staples 21 or by an adhesive, it rests upon the curve surfaces 2l of the easel and at its upper end is attached by an adhesive or otherwise to the upper end of a plate 28 having perforations 29 adapted to be engaged by a tongue 30 projecting from the rear edge of each of the easel wings for holding the yplate 28 in place. Thus when the easel is set up characters and causing illumination from the front, top and sides to be projected through the 'openings forming the letters, as illustrated by the rays a,- b and c from the front, back and top of the reflector as also illustrated in Fig. 2.

When light falls on the backs of thev letters or characters, any different or distinctive coloring on the back of the lettering is mirrored in the refleeting surface Il as represented by the colored shadows din Fig. 1. These colored shadows cause a distinctive appearance of the display, depending upon the coloring at the back of the letters and also upon the coloring of the reflecting surface itself; Sometimes the shadows are mere fragments or blotches of color and at other times they are easily distinguished as shadows of the letters or characters in front of them. In any event it suggests an artificially lighted display suggesting and more or less simulating a neon or other electric lamp illumination without requiring the actual lamp itself.

Displays of this kind may be set upon counters, in show-windows, receiving illumination at the top from either the front or the back, causing the illumination of the back of the characters visible from the front as above explained, or if the illumination is directly from above, the curved portion of the reflector will also cause the letters or characters to be illuminated and to stand out clearly as a display when seen from the front thereof.

I claim: y

1. A display device of sheet material comprising a back plate and a display characte supported at a distance in front thereof, and a reiiector extending from the back' plate downwardly at a distance behind the character and turned forwardly at the bottom to the rear lower exposed end of theA character.

2. a folding display formed of sheet material, a rear plate and a front character support spaced therefrom, a flexible reflector extending to the rear plate in a curve upwardly from the support and spaced at the top from the back of a character held therein. i

3. In a folding display formed of sheet material, a front character holder and a rear support spaced therefrom, a flexible reiiector extending in a curve upwardly from the holder to the support, the reflector having means for attaching it to the display at one end and being loose at the other so that it will extend flatly between the holder and the support when the display is collapsed.

4. An advertising device formed of sheet material and foldable to form box base with a support at the rear and with a slot at the front will engage the vfront of the box base at the rear of the character holding slot for setting up the reecting surface in a curve of predetermined design for reflecting light from all directions through the letters or characters at the front of the base.

5. A display sign comprising a supporting base, an open letter', character or symbol supported in upright position by the base, and a curved reflecting surface extending upwardly and rearwardly from the rear of the base of the letters or characters, the top being open between the reflecting surface and the upper ends of the letters or char-l acters to 4permit light to enter between them from the front, sides, top and back.

6. In a folding display sign made of sheet material, a box base having inwardly foldable end flaps to hold. it in rectangular supporting position, a plurality of letters or characters, meansy forming a slot at the front of the base into which the letters or characters are interchangeably inserted, a supporting plate at the rear of the base, and a reiiector of flexible materialattached to the upper end of the plate and loose at the lower end, the length of the reflector being such that it is engaged by the top of the base and said means and curved rearwardly at the back of the letters or characters when the box base is set up in extended position.

7. In a display sign, a supporting base, a plurality of open characters made of sheet material supported at the front of the base having colored backs, a reflecting surface curved upwardly and rearwardly from the lower ends of the characters, means extending upwardly from the base for supporting the upper end ofthe reecting surface, the reflection from the backs of the letters or characters appearing on said curved surface and being visible between the lettersor characters from the front of the display.

8. A folding display made of sheet-material comprising a base for supporting apertured or die-cut characters or symbols at the ,front thereof, means forming a ilexible reector, a support in connection' with the base for one end of the re- -ilector, the` other end being loose and held in curved position at the back of the letter or symbol in an upwardly and rearwardly curved position open at the top and ends so that the` curved surface will pickup light from many angles observable through the letters or characters from d the front thereof.

9. A display device in accordance with claim 8 in which the surface of the reflector is grooved or embossed to assist in reflecting light from various angles due to the curvature and embossing thereof.

10. A foldable display device comprising front die-cut or open letters or characters, an extensible base for supporting the letters or characters, means forming a flexible reflector attached to the support at one end and loose at the other, the base engaging the reflector to curve it upwardly and rearwardly at the back of the die-cut letters or symbols whereby the reector extends iiatly between the base and the letters when the display is collapsed or folded and automatically assumes a predetermined curvature when the display is extended or set up.

ABNER F. SACKS'I'EDER.` 

